South Carolina's Grand Strand is
a 60-mile stretch of coastline. The Grand Strand begins
at the South Carolina state line in Little River and
stretches to Pawleys Island.
The Grand Strand hosts
an estimated 13.7 million visitors annually.
Money Magazine has
named the Grand Strand as one of the top 20 places
to retire in America.
The Myrtle Beach area
has been named by "Where to Retire" magazine as one
of the 100 Best Retirement Towns in America.
Driving Distances:
DC Washington
445
NY New York
679
GA Atlanta
362
OH Cincinnati
661
IL Chicago
952
OH Cleveland
673
IN Indianapolis
768
PA Philadelphia
588
KY Lexington
584
PA Pittsburgh
607
MA Boston
894
SC Columbia
138
MI Detroit
809
SC Greenville
243
NC Charlotte
182
TN Memphis
740
NC Raleigh
188
TN Nashville
591
NY Buffalo
828
VA Richmond
324
NY Syracuse
810
WV Charleston
437
Ocean Water:
Over the last 30 years the lowest Grand
Strand ocean water temperature has reached is 47°
F and the highest is 88° F.
Ocean water temperature along the Grand Strand beaches
is about 20° warmer than New York ocean water during
the summer months and approximately 10° warmer during the
winter months.
Population: The Grand Strand
has seen steady growth in population during the past
several decades. This population explosion has been
evident in the increase in the number of residential
construction starts and infrastructure development.
Horry County Population
Figures and Projections:
(U.S. Bureau of the Census)
1970
69,992
1980
101,419
1990
144,053
1998
174,762
2000
196,629
2005 (Projection)
199,500
2010 (Projection)
218,600
2015 (Projection)
237,700
1990
2000
Myrtle Beach
24,848
22,759
North Myrtle Beach
8,731
10,974
Cost of Living Listed below are
just a few examples of how Myrtle Beach compares with
the rest of the nation. A composite index score of 100
is the national average.
Cities
Composite Index
Grocery Items
Housing Cost
Utilities
Trans- portation
Health Care
Misc. Services
New York, N.Y.
218.6
141.3
416.8
168.1
120.9
173
136.7
Washington D.C.
132.3
128.6
157.7
114.1
125.6
125.5
120
Charleston, S.C.
103.1
101.6
105.4
109.2
94.6
100.6
103.4
Raleigh, N.C.
101.2
108.9
102.8
95.8
96.6
104.4
98.4
Wilmington, N.C.
97.5
98.0
102.8
96.4
86.7
93.2
97
Toledo, OH.
97
104.6
83.6
116.8
94.9
99.6
100
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
96.9
101.2
89
107
94
96.3
100
Myrtle Beach Area Average Cost
of Living Prices
Average
Electric Bill
$ 109.15 (based on 1800
sq. ft. living area)
Average Phone
Charges
$ 19.86 ( private residence,
not including long distance service)
North
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 